The circumstances are fitting with the former world No 1 Roger Federer ending his playing career after his doubles match alongside Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup
Unlike the recent intense, competitive departure of Serena Williams Federer cannot trust his knee to last more than one short doubles match. In his final bout alongside Nadal, his Team Europe teammate, he will enter the O2 Arena against Team World’s Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock on Friday night simply hoping to compete at a respectable level.
. But the circumstances are fitting. He will be seen off by three of the toughest opponents of his life, players who with him have defined this past decade and a half of tennis, pushing it forward in so many ways. Between them they have won 66 grand slam titles, faced off against each other 234 times and spent 933 weeks at No 1. For over a decade they packed out the later stages of each major event and blocked nearly all others from succeeding. “Tomorrow’s gonna be a special thing,” said Nadal. “I think very difficult, difficult one. Gonna be difficult to handle everything, especially for Roger, without a doubt. For me too. At the end one of the most important players, if not most important player in my tennis career, is leaving, no?” Federer arrived first and at 41 years old he will leave in that order. Five years older than Nadal, 36, he set the bar in the sky, winning his first grand slam title in 2003,and forcing everyone else to catch up. Nadal followed, a teenage supernova who first established himself on clay and then gradually caught up elsewhere. Just as they had built a two-part rivalry, their games and personalities sharply contrasting, Djokovic, now 35, smashed through the seemingly impenetrable barrier they had built and marked himself as their equal. While Murray, 35, does not quite stand with the big three, for years he was the only other player who consistently faced up to them in the biggest events. In time they pushed each other, forcing the others to take their games to greater heights. They have contested some of the greatest matches ever seen and they have constantly broken each other’s hearts.Now, they will play out the final moments of Federer’s career on the same side on the court. “We will do our best to contribute to the team and a good performance but at the same time marvel and celebrate his career, because he deserves it in a great way,” said Djokovic.
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